You've just said yes to forever, perfected your Pinterest board and you're ready to start planning the wedding of your dreams. But wait...hold on...how much did you say that will cost!? *Cue record scratch*

FIND OUT WHO IS CONTRIBUTING TO THE BUDGET
Before you plan (or purchase) ANYTHING, be sure to have a clear understanding of just WHO will be contributing to your event—the answer may surprise you! Many couples assume contributions will be coming from (traditionally) the bride's side only. However, due to the high price tag on weddings in recent years, it has become customary for both sides (as well as the couple) to pitch in to the overall pot.

Host a dinner party or arrange for cocktails and conversation with both sets of parents to nail down the who and what of your wedding funds. Also, be sure to check in with any special extended family or friends - grandma might want to gift you your wedding dress!

PRIORITIZE ITEMS IN YOUR BUDGET.
Once you have your magic number, it's time to make some decisions on what your money will be going towards. This is an area of wedding planning that looks different for everyone. There are no right or wrong answers or a cookie-cutter approach to prioritizing items in your wedding budget. Some couples consider EVERYTHING, from the engagement party right down to their honeymoon clothes, as part of the budget. Others assume they will be paying for all the major items (venue, photographer, catering and of course, the bar bill) and paying for all other expenses separately.

Some couples consider EVERYTHING, from the engagement party right down to their honeymoon clothes, as part of the budget. Others assume they will be paying for all the major items (venue, photographer, catering and of course, the bar bill) and paying for all other expenses separately.

BREAK OUT YOUR BUDGET INTO PERCENTAGES.
Now that you've had the hard conversations and made sense of what you want to buy, the last step is breaking your wedding budget out by category into pretty little percentages. There are many fabulous resources out there including one of our favs from Wedding Paper Divas to help you organize yourself. Once you've determined how much to spend on venues and vendors, the key is sticking to it so you don't end up drowning in post nuptial debt.

Once you've determined how much to spend on venues and vendors, the key is sticking to it so you don't end up drowning in post-nuptial debt.

Communication is key when working out your wedding budget so try to stay cool, calm and collected when determining what to do with all that dream wedding cash.

Style Me Pretty Contributor - Jennae Saltzman is based in Minneapolis, MN and is the owner of Blush & Whim Wedding Planning + Event Design. She was recently named one of the TOP 10 Wedding Planners in the Midwest by Martha Stewarts' sister company, MyWedding Magazine.